Rockets report: Sore back sidelines Eric Gordon

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Guard Eric Gordon, the Rockets' second-leading scorer, sat out Thursday's 107-95 victory over the Hornets with a sore back, the third game he has missed with tightness in his back. But he hopes to play Saturday against Phoenix.

"It tightened up on me toward the end of last game," Gordon said. "It would have been tough for me to play, but it's getting better. I'm feeling better. It's nowhere near as bad as (in) Boston. I'll see how I feel tomorrow."

Gordon missed two games last month with tightness in his back that flared up in pregame warmups before the Rockets played the Celtics. He believed it was caused by compensating for a sprained ankle and sprained toe. The Rockets are 3-2 in games Gordon has missed this season.

With Gordon out, the Rockets extended court time for players already in the rotation, using Corey Brewer as a backup shooting guard and Sam Dekker as a backup small forward in addition to his usual time as a backup power forward.

"(Gordon) is a big part of what we do," D'Antoni said. "He's been the best sixth man all year, so that's a big hole. Also, it puts a little bit extra burden on James (Harden) and Trevor (Ariza) and different guys. I think because of the spacing of the games it's not as crucial as it was in January. Anytime somebody is out it's a big hit."

Gordon averages 17.3 points in 30.5 minutes, coming off the bench in 43 of the 51 games he played. He also missed the Rockets' first game against the Hornets.

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Rockets reserve guard/forward K.J. McDaniels was unavailable on Thursday after his girlfriend delivered their child. Backup center Nene sat out with a sore left shoulder.

Dekker, Kaminsky renew friendship

Hornets forward/center Frank Kaminsky promised to try to score against his friend and former Wisconsin teammate Sam Dekker with one reminder. Dekker, he said, would go after him, too. He was right.

"What's the old adage: 'mouse in the house?' " the 7-0 Kaminsky said of posting up his 6-9 friend.

"He's one of my best friends. When they come to town, you have to see him. I told him last time we played them, if he's guarding me, I'll go at him. And if I'm guarding him, he'll go at me."

With Eric Gordon out, Dekker played at small forward more than usual, limiting his time against Kaminsky. But when Dekker took off on a fast break, Kaminsky was the last line of defense, prompting Dekker to finish with a resounding slam on Kaminsky.

"He said he let me go by," Dekker said of their halftime conversation about the dunk. "Video shows he kind of did. He knows I can jump. But I'm mad I didn't get the other one to go on (Miles) Plumlee

"It's always good to play against friends and former teammates. It's pretty cool. … It's always fun playing against a guy like that, seeing how far we've come. I'm proud of what he's done."

Hornets coach praises Beverley

James Harden took over the game for a quarter, but that was expected. His backcourt mate had one of his better games, keying the Rockets' defense on Hornets All-Star Kemba Walker

"(Harden) had 30," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "He averages 29. He got to the free throw line 12 times. He averages 11. He was fine. He's going to get his. The player of the game, to me, was (Pat) Beverley He got the two huge 3s (in the third quarter). We were right there, but those were defensive mistakes. We let him line it up. He ran their team. He was their secondary pick-and-roll player and, outside of Harden, he was the key to the game."

Beverley had 17 points with three steals, including two on Walker on consecutive possessions when the Rockets were in their third-quarter run. Walker, who averages 22.7 points, had 14.

"Pat did a great job the whole game," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He had to guard Kemba and score. He did."